Aleta George

Writer Aleta George trained as a Jepson Prairie docent in 2009. In addition to writing Bay Nature's Ear to the Ground column, she has written for Smithsonian, High Country News, and the Los Angeles Times.

Dredging the Port of Sonoma

January 1, 2007 •  by

At first glance, the wide-open stretch of Highway 37 along San Pablo Bay between Vallejo and Novato may look like a sleepy rural backwater, but the range of wetland habitat protection projects here, combined with open farmland, give this corridor … Read more

Lead Poisoning in California Condors

January 1, 2007 •  by

When California condor number 307 saw biologists capturing other condors at Pinnacles National Monument last summer, she apparently spooked and flew northeast to San Luis Reservoir. By the time she returned three days later, biologists were concerned: Of the ten … Read more

Purchase of Coast Dairies Land

January 1, 2007 •  by

Over the years, local surfers, picnicking families, and even ravers have used the seven beaches on former dairy farm land known as Coast Dairies eight miles north of Santa Cruz. But those strips of sand—a sliver of the newly protected … Read more

Ballot Initiatives for Open Space

October 1, 2006 •  by

Not so very long ago, two counties on opposite corners of the Bay competed to grow the best stone fruits in the West. With fertile soils and favorable climates, Santa Clara and Solano counties have rich agricultural heritages stretching back … Read more

Christmas Bird Count

October 1, 2006 •  by

Rain or shine, Bay Area birders participate in their own Christmas tradition when they grab a pair of binoculars and head out for the annual Bay Area Christmas Bird Count. Begun in 1900, the Christmas Bird Count takes place between … Read more

Delisting of the Brown Pelican

October 1, 2006 •  by

While you’re heading to the polls this November, California brown pelicans will be returning to breeding grounds that range from the Channel Islands south to Mexico. From May to September, these stately birds fly as far north as British Columbia. … Read more

The Invasive Yellow Star Thistle

October 1, 2006 •  by

When yellow star thistle hitched a ride to California on alfalfa seed in the mid-1800s, it found fertile soil, a temperate climate, and no natural enemies. In its native Mediterranean home, yellow star thistle is kept in check by a … Read more

Deep Water Corals in Monterey Bay

April 1, 2006 •  by

Thriving in cold, dark waters 4,265 feet below sea level, communities of large, ancient, and colorful corals grace the peaks of Davidson Seamount, a 7,546-foot inactive volcano 75 miles southwest of Monterey. Courtesy 2006 MBARI/NOAA, www.mbari.org “Coral reefs are charismatic … Read more

Environmental Building Boom

April 1, 2006 •  by

The North Bay is having a bit of an environmental building boom. PRBO Conservation Science, the noted research organization based in West Marin for over 30 years, will open a new facility next to Shollenberger Park, a popular birding spot … Read more

Jean Siri Memorial

April 1, 2006 •  by

After flying flags at half-mast for 22 days throughout the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD), the district’s board members joined fellow board member Jean Siri’s family and nearly 350 other people to celebrate the life of the longtime activist, … Read more